The Gay Rights Movement

Despite the constant bombardment of doom and gloom, bullying, bullycides, and teen suicides, we are truly living in exciting times as members of the LGBT community. As it was with the Civil Rights battle of the 60s, it’s a hard-fought battle. However, we’re gaining momentum. We’re winning legal battles from shore-to-shore, small and large alike. And, slowly and perhaps reluctantly, we’re gaining acceptance. That news is greatest for the younger members of the LGBT community. Collectively, we’re paving the way for a much brighter future for today’s LBGT youth. That’s huge!!

This video showed up on my facebook wall today. In my humble opinion, it’s a must-see video for every person, gay or straight. It shows where we’ve come from. It moved me to tears.

See, as an older black man, and having spent my childhood years in the South, I clearly remember the days of fierce segregation. I remember the “whites only” and “coloreds only” bathrooms and doctor’s offices. I CLEARLY, and I mean vividly, remember the middle-aged white man who tried his damnedest to put a 12″ blade through my 7-year-old back simply because I was a little nigger boy. I can describe his car in detail. I remember the struggles, the fight for equality. I remember clearly the day Dr. King was assassinated. And, I remember the destructive aftermath. But, the generations ahead of my own continued to fight and fight hard for a world that would accept me in spite of my skin tone. Eventually, and gradually, things changed. They’re still changing. Today, the playing field is a lot more even. Don’t mistake my words. Racism still lives and breathes today. To be sure, it will never completely go away. At least not in my lifetime. But, it’s gotten better, much better!, for people of color.

As an older gay man, I can remember the day when holding your lover’s hand in public could get you arrested. In some places, it could get you killed. I remember my 5th grade teacher “outing” me and my boyfriend and the negative reaction it received. I remember Anita Bryant. I remember being a young boy when Stonewall was in the news but knowing instinctively that this was something significant. Oddly to me at the time, I felt a sense of pride in what was going on, and I secretly followed it as much as I could. I remember the reports of how homos were deviants or worse! Fast forward to today. Same fight. Same struggles for acceptance and equality. And, they’re being fought against the same establishment. And, as with the Civil Rights struggle of the 60s, we’re slowly but steadily making gains. We’re winning battles of equality, large and small, all over the world. And, somewhere in the world, there’s that young boy who, like me and Stonewall, is watching this unfold and instinctively knowing that this fight is for him. And, he’s stronger for it.